Even though my kids have three weeks (too much!) of school left, our minds are on summer. Every summer (and family vacation, and holiday season) I check in with everyone in the family to see what we all want to do.

Bubbles may be simple, but they still captivate my oldest--and me, too!

This works for us for so many reasons: it takes all the pressure off of me as the family planner; it ensures I’m not thinking X is something necessary when really the rest of the family is just so tired of doing X; and it helps us make sure everybody gets to do at least some of what they want.

You see and I saw. Then I see and you saw.

Summer is special to me. I don’t particularly enjoy winter with its dark, cold, snowy, icy days; I operate like a solar cell in the summertime, soaking up what I need to make it through February. Luckily, we live about ten minutes from the beach, and we’re surrounded by beautiful places to visit and explore.

We don't even have to leave our yard to see loads of cool critters, like this guy.

So. We’ve begun our summer lists. (Click to embiggen, and you can see the cute little recycled notebook I’ve written this in here.)

So far we have lists labeled Go, Make, More Make (this is the non-art make), and Do. The list contains plenty of art activities, including some I’ve been waiting until outdoor season to try–I think our deck is a good place to make our own paper, for instance–but it also includes day trips, science experiments, making our own ice cream and lemonade, and lots of beach and coastal activities.

This is part of our rhythm–we get outdoors when we can, here. We take advantage of as much as the season offers, and our list reflects that. If it’s raining, I’ll go for the indoor activities, but if it’s nice, the art posts here may be slim!

If you keep your eyes open, you may find a 4-leaf clover, right in your own yard!

Some other things in the works:

I’m looking forward to the next issue of Whipup‘s Action Pack, which promises to be full of activities just perfect for summer. (You can click on the button on the sidebar to be taken right to the shop page: full disclosure, I signed up as an affiliate to help spread the word.) I’m sure our lists will grow once we get a look at what Kathreen has put together.

Also, G and I will be helping to celebrate Eric Carle’s birthday. You can, too–click on the button to be taken to Kate’s post at An Amazing Child to get all the information.

7 Responses to Planning Ahead

This is our last summer before D starts kindergarten, so we are planning to spend a lot of time with friends. Summer is, to an extent, our indoor season. The birds are gone from our natural areas; they’ve migrated up to you. But there’s still plenty to do outside. Our beautiful Japanese gardens are open in the evening, for “Sushi and Stroll.” It’s too hot for a regular playground, but there are lots of playgrounds that also have splash parks. We mostly go to the toddler-friendly ones, where some water squirts out of some equipment or the ground but there’s no depth to it. We live about a mile from the beach, as the crow flies. We belong to our children’s museum, which hosts lots of art activities, including Waldorf Wednesdays once a month and another art activity every Friday. Our zoo is very shady and also has a splash park. There’s free bowling for kids at AMF lanes (including in Cranston, I just checked. You might look into it). AND, my mom is here for the summer. We’ll be busy!

That all sounds like fun, Victoria! We have a bowling alley right nearby. I’m not sure if they’re AMF though–I’ll check it out! N wanted to go bowling for his birthday–it was fun and I wondered why I’d never before thought of taking them bowling on rainy summer days!

I just found your blog and I love all the lists you make! I look forward to making lists with my little ones in the future. So far our summer entails trips to the beach, art classes, gymnastics, and whatever else I can think of.

Reminder: All text and photos copyright Amy Hood. I love to spread the word about great art experiences for kids, don't you? You may use a photo to link back to a specific activity or post, but if you'd like to use more than one photo or any text, please contact me first: kidsinthestudio at gmail dot com. Thank you!